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New forum member slated for a cochlear implant

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I’m new to the forum, having just joined. I am a stranger to hearing aids, having only worn one for about a month.

I lost the hearing in my left ear at age 43. I tried a hearing aid, but I could not understand speech or identify sounds. At the time, aids weren’t wireless and I could not justify the expense for the benefit since the right ear still worked 100%.

Fast forward 25 years. I now have some mild hearing loss in the “good” ear, and I’m now on Medicare. While Medicare is prohibited by law from paying for hearing aids, they will pay 80% of the cost of a . Since Medicare will pay 80%, my supplemental insurance will pay 20%, making the CI no out of pocket cost to me.

My audiologist was encouraging that I could learn to hear again in my left ear if I was willing to put in the work. She was a little concerned with my age, and how long it has been since the ear understood speech, but not concerned enough to discourage me.

I had my scan last Friday and the results were nominal. That clears the way for the meeting with the Surgeon on August 16th. At that meeting, we will select the brand of hearing aid. My options are the Cochlear Nucleus system, or the Med El Synchrony 2. After that, the implant surgery followed by activation three to four weeks later.

I’m currently torn between which implant to choose. I’m familiar with Cochlear, and I like that everything is imbedded in the processor, and the battery lasts all day.

I’m not crazy about the snap on Bluetooth module for the MedEl or having to carry multiple batteries since theirs won’t stay charged all day. But, I’m concerned that the longer electrode on the MedEl might provide a wider spectrum to hear. After all, that’s what this journey is about, hearing speech and hopefully music in my left ear.

I would like to hear from some of you that have Cochlear and MedEl devices and what you like about them, but more importantly, what you don’t like about them.

I can say about the Med El implants/processors. Maybe @Dani will chime in and give some information about Med El.

I have CI612 Cochlear implants. They are the compliant implants.
I have a set of Nucleus 7 processors and also a set of Kanso 2 processors. One thing about Cochlear and Medicare is you will get two sets of processors which is very nice. I had to request the two different types of processors. They are both Android and iPhone compatible without a intermediate device which is really nice.

Welcome to the forum…
I’m a N7 -L522 & Resound Enzo 3D user, hearing system. The important thing for me was not having to use any ’s with my processor when streaming. As in the early stages post op and doing all the required rehab, having had to use a streamer with my Phonak aids. I certainly didn’t want to go down that road again. For me as I’m getting older the less electronic devises I had to have the better, so direct streaming was a must. I have compact rechargeable batteries from Cochlear, and they last me all day without the need to change them.

Being the poor relations downunder, Cochlear don’t give us Aussies any gifts in our pack upon activation. We get the bare essentials to get us going…

I didn’t realise that Med El’s arrays we’re longer than Cochlear., must only be by a mm. That said I don’t have any issues listening to music at all. During my initial rehab I constantly listened to the radio when I wasn’t doing rehab. I had to retrained my brain to listen to the music, just the same as retraining my brain to understand speech and environmental sounds through the processor. I’ve been to live theatre as well and don’t have any problems listening to musicals. It didn’t come naturally I had to put in the hard yards to do this though.

Also the size of the processor was another important factor in my decision to go with Cochlear. I will add I’ve had a fantastic result from my …

Good luck on your new journey back to being able to hear…

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